G2A, one of the largest online video game distribution marketplaces, has partnered with Polish 3D printing company 3DGence to offer an all-in-one 3D printing platform for video game publishers and developers. Covering everything from extracting the 3D model directly from the game, to creating, validating and customizing the 3D printable file, to 3D printing the model, and even ensuring complete DRM protection, G2A 3D+ hopes to build a global 3D printing platform video game publishers, developers, and of course, the gamers themselves.

Fuero Games, The Farm 51, Anshar Studios, Awaken Realms and even MSI, a leading developer of PC gaming hardware, are just a few of the major gaming-industry players to have confirmed their partnership with the G2A 3D+ platform. G2A currently boasts over 70M quarterly visits, over 700,000 monthly transactions, and 23K+ products on the platform, making it a multinational leader in digital game distribution.

There has been growing interest in the intersection between 3D printing and the massive video game industry. Gamers spend hours with their avatars, and high-quality models and figurines have been a staple in the video game merchandise market. Yet with 3D printing, the ability to bring customized 3D content from the digital world into the physical one has added an entirely new level of interactivity and personalization to the gaming experience.

“Having the ability to print our game characters is a great way to get players more engaged with a given title. Virtual content existing only within the game will now become tangible, creating greater gamer’s engagement with the game,” said Michał Bujko, Head of Production at Fuero Games.

Vying to tap into this high-demand market while working directly with video game publishers and developers, G2A’s 3D+ platform gives its customers the ability to 3D print licensed IPs, characters, vehicles, or nearly any in-game content at the touch of a button. With a “share and print” button integrated directly into participating games, users will be able to freeze and download 3D models of situations or poses encountered exactly as they appear in the video game. They will then have the option of either ordering the finished 3D printed model, or downloading the 3D printable files and 3D printing them themselves.

As G2A and 3DGence see it, G2A 3D+ is an ideal marketing platform for video game publishers and developers. The platform offers quick and easy integration, either manually or through the 3D+ API, and creates opportunities for multi-gaming through connected IPs, hardware customization and co-branding, community events, and more.

Furthermore, the G2A 3D+ platform is dedicated to providing a simple yet effective digital rights management solution. “With us, you can enter the era of 3D printing without the need to worry about your IP being abused,” wrote the company. G2A 3D+ offers three approaches to DRM protection: DRM-free files, DRM protected software, and DRM protected hardware. Additionally, new items added to the 3D+ platform or 3D printed via the service are verified through G2A’s blueprint library to prevent users from usurping IP ownership or printing illegal/stolen blueprints.

“We wanted to build one platform which delivers all the essentials that gamers need to use to 3D for fun, as well as the technically ‘details’ which still consume too many resources to build a 3D printing platform by game publishers and developers,” said G2A. In addition to entering the 3D printing marketplace, G2A has also developed their own ‘G2A Pay’ payment ecosystem, and G2A VR, an in-house development studio focusing on virtual reality games.

“G2A 3D+ has shown that we are serious about 2016 and the future of games,” said Bartosz Skwarczek, co-founder and CEO of G2A. “This is the first of many investments in new technologies G2A, so we will strengthen our position in the markets of Asia and reach new customers worldwide.”

Jakub Sołtysik, marketing and PR manager at 3DGence, said that they are planning to host a wide range of 3D printing competitions within G2A 3D+ to create new social initiatives such as real-time 3D design and enthusiast conventions. “We want to give people the opportunity to develop their skills all while having plenty of fun.”

We have previously seen several other companies looking to merge the worlds of video gaming and 3D printing by bringing customized digital content to life in the form of 3D printed avatars and figurines. Recently, Whispering Gibbon received major funding for its RenderFab technology, which converts digital content into 3D printable models, and Amazon and Sandboxr have also partnered to offer professional 3D prints from select video game franchises.

The G2A 3D+ platform was officially announced during the Taipei Game Show 2016, and the official launch of the service is planned for Q2 2016.